Awesome story of standing up for yourself right from the beging when it can do the most good! (as in the best way out of a bad situation is to avoid it in the first place).

And while it's sad to think they'll find their victim, there's also a good chance (considering some of the roommate stories I've read here) they'll find someone who seems sweet as pie and then turns into a PA witch as soon as 30 days have passed and has tenent rights (even without a signed lease).

Well, we can hope

I had a few of those in college even with a lease!

And the whole grilling thing sounded like typical college people - friends of mine would have done this, right down to asking about your girlfriend. And you know what? I would have told you, even then, (as a total n00b to the world of renting) that you should get everything in writing. Even people who seem nice and normal may forget things once you move in - you need written signed proof of what you are getting with your rent money.

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You are only young once. After that you have to think up some other excuse.

"Oh, it's a great life here! Now, as the newbie, you'll be responsible for some of the cleaning, i.e., your room, our rooms, the living room, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, and the front stoop. Also, we'd like you to wear a French maid outfit while you're cleaning, so you might wanna shave your legs. S would like you to give her regular backrubs (if ya know what I'm sayin' *winkwink*), G expects you'll take his suits for dry-cleaning and pick them up--that's on your dime, btw--and you'll need to make dinner five nights a week as well, so get a cookbook. Now, if you'll just sit still, we'll tattoo 'Welcome!' on your forehead. No singing, please, and absolutely no making friends with the mice. Everyone on the same page here?"

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William wondered why he always disliked people who said "no offense meant." Maybe it was because they found it easier to say "no offense meant" than actually to refrain from giving offense.

"Oh, it's a great life here! Now, as the newbie, you'll be responsible for some of the cleaning, i.e., your room, our rooms, the living room, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, and the front stoop. Also, we'd like you to wear a French maid outfit while you're cleaning, so you might wanna shave your legs. S would like you to give her regular backrubs (if ya know what I'm sayin' *winkwink*), G expects you'll take his suits for dry-cleaning and pick them up--that's on your dime, btw--and you'll need to make dinner five nights a week as well, so get a cookbook. Now, if you'll just sit still, we'll tattoo 'Welcome!' on your forehead. No singing, please, and absolutely no making friends with the mice. Everyone on the same page here?"

Wow. Those three reminded me of the flatmates in Shallow Grave. They were the high of rude smugness (or smug rudeness) to all the interviewees until they found someone who cowed them universally. You're far better off avoiding the fate of those folks.

Wow - that reminds me of a couple of my apartment seeking adventures. I lived at home for a while after college, and then was able to move out. First place I looked at was nice, but the current tenant did not ask me anything about me, my habits, etc. etc. etc. She also alluded to the fact her boyfriend would be there quite a bit. plus it was just a bedroom, and seemed like she already had th erest of the place furnished, so nowhere for me to put any of my things. So I passed.

Second one, the ad said must like cats, which I do. So I meet with the potential roommate, and she says oh, I signed a lease, and now need a roomie. Fine, we look at the apt, and while it small, its adequate. She also says that there is one parking spot for the bldg, and if I wanted it, it would be an extra $20 a month. Again, fine, as parking in this town, esp in the downtown area where the apt was, is hard to find. Then she says she spends almost every weekend at her boyfriend's, and if I don't mind, I can watch her cats, OR she can get someone to come in and do it. Ok, I don't mind once in a while, but did not want to be responsible each and every weekend, NOR did I want someone coming in on a regular basis to take care of them.

But the final straw was as we were chatting outside, she let it slip that she had PAID a realtor about 1500 to find this apt, and the rent was only x dollars, but she was charging an extra 90 a month to recover that money! Um no, YOU did that, and it was your choice, so you should be the one to swallow that cost, not charge some unsuspecting roommate above and beyond the rent!!! I passed on that one as well.

I then decided perhaps a studio by myself woudl be the best bet, but ended up in a converted house, alone, found by a friend of the family who was a realtor.

Tallone, let me tell you what the ending of the story would be, if you had gone with these guys. I got myself in a similar situation (though no comments about SO's or anything like that). The guy who owned the house was basically gone for 2-3 weeks out of every month, so was looking to rent rooms so his house wasn't unoccupied for so long at a time. There was no written contract, I just agreed to pay XXX per month. One month after I moved in, another lady rented the formerly unoccupied 3rd bedroom. So there were three of us living in this house. I thought we all got along great. I thought wrong.

Two months after I moved in, both the owner and the other renter informed me that they thought I "walked too heavily" and asked me to restrict how much walking around the house I did. They also repeatedly complained about the food I made. Not that I left a mess or anything, but just that I dared to use the appliances in the kitchen to make food. The owner didn't like that I got up early to go to work. The other renter didn't like that I'd get home earlier than her and would be sitting on the couch when she got home. Neither of them liked it when I would have my then-BF over...I laughed too loud.

Three months after I moved in, the owner dropped a note in my room while I was gone, informing me that there was going to be a "house meeting" on a day/time when I was at work, to determine how much in bills we needed to pay individually. He listed an "approximate" amount on the note that was about 20% of my current rent. When I'd first moved in, I'd asked about bills, and was told that my rent covered everything.

I determined that, if I was going to have to pay that much to rent a room, I'd probably also be able to rent an apartment or studio, and have much more control over my life. I found a studio for *less* than what I would have been paying, gave the owner my "intention to quit" letter, and was never happier than when I moved out into my own place.